Resurgence: The Frozen Revolution
by ObservingWriterAndReader
Summary: Born with the powers of the Lion Turtles, Elsa was destined to follow the same route as the previous avatars. But when tragedy stuck at the age of 16, her world was thrown into chaos. Now 5 years later, and with an old threat looming on the horizon, does she have what it takes to live up to her incarnation's legacy?
1. The Thief and the Alley

"Now, what was it again? Left foot and right arm?" A murmur escaped from the hooded figure hiding in the shadows as it made its way down a dark street. It was shrouded by a dark robe, concealing everything except for pale hands as they mimicked movements. On both sides were buildings either heavily reinforced or abandoned, wooden boards blocking every single one. At this hour, the streets themselves were deserted.

"No, that doesn't seem right. It was right foot. And he balanced himself on the left foot." The figure stepped into the moonlight and pulled out a worn book from the dark folds of the cloak. Fast fingers flipped through pages of sketches and descriptions before landing on a blank page. Soon, a charcoal image was drawn, filling up half the page. The illustration depicted a human standing on its left foot, raising its right leg and arm with fire coming out of it.

"Yea, _that's_ what it should look like."

As soon as the shrouded figure closed the book, a cloaked person ran by and ducked into one of the many dark alleys lining the main street. The sudden gust of wind from the runner blew the artist's hood down, revealing braided, platinum blonde hair belonging to a woman. She stood up, shoving her book into a bag hidden in her cloak.

Elsa debated pulling the hood back up to conceal her features, especially her hair, but decided not to. After all, one person running through a deserted street at – what was it, 1 AM? – wouldn't stop to notice her.

"Get back here!" a man shouted, rounding a corner with two other men. They followed the path that the first figure took, leaving Elsa no choice but to press up against the wall to avoid the trio as they disappeared as well into the dark alley.

"What in the…?" She took a few steps towards the corner and peered around it, finding the three men surrounding a red haired woman in the rundown alley. Trash piled in the corners, boards covered any doors and windows, and a fine layer of dirt had settled on the ground.

_This would have made a nice, quiet place to sleep tonight too. _

"You have nowhere to run, now hand it over," the first man said, taking a step towards the woman. She turned her head to look behind her, eyeing the brick wall that separated her from freedom.

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, returning her gaze to the men in front of her.

The man snarled as a flame resembling a dagger grew from his closed fist. "Last chance, sweet cheeks."

"Never." The redhead took a step back at the sight of the fire, pressing up against the wooden boards covering a door. Her face slowly lost confidence as the man stepped forward, igniting a dagger from his other fist.

Elsa ducked behind the corner as multiple thoughts ran through her head.

_Save her. _

_Run._

_It's your duty._

_It's none of your business._

_It's the least you can do._

Making a decision she felt like she'd regret later, Elsa turned the corner to face the group. Not much had changed during her ten second mental battle, but she knew time was running out. The first man was advancing faster towards the woman while the other two watched, content with letting the apparent leader do the dirty work.

Right as Elsa took a step forward, ready to fight, the man lunged at the girl with his right fist arching upwards. The woman dove to her right, dodging the flame as it scorched the boards behind her. She landed on a trash bag, trapping herself in a corner.

"Well, that didn't last very long," said the man, laughing at his own comment as he turned to face the cowering woman. He opened his hand and lifted it to the boarded window, lighting it on fire with merely a thought. The flames crept closer to the woman, who pressed herself against the brick wall of the alleyway. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she frantically looked for a way out. Her eyes, scanning everything in the alley, focused on a pair of ice blue ones as a wave of pleading came over her face.

The firebender paused when he lost her attention and turned to see what gained it. Elsa took a step backwards, suddenly realizing what a horrible idea it was to snoop.

"You brought a friend? Cute." The man shifted slightly, looking at his own friends. "Lee, Bernt, take care of the blonde while I deal with this one." The first man turned back around, meeting the redhead's eyes as they focused back on him.

"Gladly, Bjarte." The taller of the two men had taken a step forwards towards the blonde newcomer, playing with a ball of fire in between his open hands. Elsa's eyes flickered between the approaching man and the trapped woman.

The man whipped his hand upward, launching the ball of fire towards Elsa. The blonde woman ducked low, dodging it almost too easily. _Even I know that move, _she thought to herself as she repositioned to face him. The next attack was just as straightforward as she side stepped past the flame. Before the man could launch another ball Elsa slid under him, knocking him off his feet with a kick to his legs. She turned and popped up, quickly diving to the side from the second man's attack. Elsa risked a quick glance toward the other woman, watching as the leader shifted his feet to put power in his next attack.

"No!" Elsa shouted, sprinting towards the redhead and ignoring the two men behind her. She slid on her knees just in time, shielding the woman with her body. Her pale hands moved in a circle as the fire reached them, dispelling it.

"A fellow firebender, huh? This just got more interesting." He smirked as he launched another attack, thrusting his fist forward. Elsa maneuvered the fire with her hands again, watching it dissipate as she leaned back towards the woman.

"Go! Run now!" Elsa half-yelled, keeping her eyes on the firebender in front of her.

"Wait, what? Why?" the woman answered, seemingly taken aback by the command.

"It's dangerous here! I'm buying you time."

"Time? For what? I can handle these jerks."

"I don't see you fighting," Elsa snapped, yanking the redhead down and under the next attack as they ran to the other side of the alley. The man turned around, smoke coming out of his flared nostrils in beat with his breathing.

"I'll show you fighting," the redhead mumbled, words barely reaching her protector. Elsa felt an object press up against her back, reflexively turning to see what it was. The woman shoved a bag in her arms, confusing the blonde. In a sudden act of grace, the cloaked woman ducked under Elsa's occupied arms, only just dodging an attack from the man. She dove forward, rolling between the two men left in the background before sprinting away from the scene. All three men paused their actions, watching as the mystery woman disappeared.

"Well, look at that. The rat just dumped the bag and left you all alone in this alley. That makes my job easier." The man stopped his attacks, standing to his full height. The fire from the wooden boards had spread, rapidly burning and casting orange light on the four occupants in the alley. "Grab her."

Lee and Bernt walked forward, wicked smiles on their faces as they approached Elsa. The tall woman backed up, pressing her body against the wall. Flames flickered to her left as she realized how dire her situation was. Each man grabbed an arm, twisting her to face Bjarte and locking her arms behind her.

"I'll be generous this time. You didn't hurt me or my friends, so I won't kill you. But." He calmed the flames so they shrunk into a smolder, casting longer shadows in the small alley. "You still let the thief get away. And for that, I'll have to give you a reminder that no one messes with me."

He held up a finger, watching it for a short moment before a spark lit from the tip. He took a step closer to Elsa, grabbing her face with his free hand and running a thumb over her cheek. "Such beautiful skin. It does pain me to mar it so. But if I didn't burn my loose ends I'd lose my seat of power here, and we can't have that, can we?"

Elsa watched with wide eyes as the flame approached her face, the orange light flickering in her eyes. She struggled for a moment, only to be kneed in the back by one of the men, ceasing her actions. Looking for a way out of the situation, multiple ideas formed in her head, leaving her to decide which was the best. She hastily chose an idea, taking a deep breath and gathering as much air as she could but right before the flame grew close enough for its heat to be felt, it died out.

And in three beats of Elsa's fast heart, the man lay flat on the ground, unable to move. Behind him stood the red-haired woman, missing her cloak.

"Miss me, boys?" She smiled and jumped back, dodging a blast from one of the men holding Elsa. They released their grasp from the blonde, focusing on the new threat. Elsa, on the other hand, was sitting on her heels with her jaw open, watching the redhead expertly dodge the attacks.

"It was a setup!" yelled the taller of the two, charging the woman. .

"She's back?" Elsa stuttered, confused at the redhead's reappearance. The shorter man turned around, remembering that his captive was behind him. He shifted into a fighting pose. The blonde quickly stood up, mirroring him. With her attention settling on the man in front, she lost track of the redhead's movements and prayed she'd be alright.

Her train of thought was interrupted when the man spun his arms in front of him, gathering a fireball that he launched only seconds later. Elsa redirected the attack, guiding it towards the wall instead of herself. He followed it up with an arching kick, creating a whip of fire that cracked down faster than she expected. The flame found purchase on the sleeve of her cloak, distracting her from the fight as she hurried to pat it out. She missed the smirk on the man's face as he launched another attack, kicking fire towards her. Blue eyes caught the move as pale hands shot up to deflect it.

_He is trying to kill me._

Finding a sudden burst of courage Elsa took a step forward, planting her feet as she thrust her hands towards her target. White flames grew from her fists and shot toward the man. Copying her earlier move, he spun the unusual flames away, only to jump back from a rapid attack towards his feet. Elsa kept launching small bursts of fire, pushing the man back until he was up against a wall.

"Wh-White?" he croaked out, uncertainty resonating in his voice. Elsa kept her face neutral while holding her pose. She turned to see the redhead watching her as she stood over a second limp body. The thief shook her head before taking a step towards the last remaining man. The women's' eyes met and then focused on the man in front of Elsa. If the blonde had blinked, she would have missed the rapid jabs aimed at the man, causing him to slump to the ground like his friends.

"_Now_ we run." She reached forward and grabbed Elsa's hand before pulling her out of the alleyway. The women sprinted a block down the street before the woman ducked into another alley. Elsa was about to leave her when she popped back out, holding her cloak.

"Can't forget this," the woman said, taking quick breaths. They ran until they hit the edge of town, ducking into the tree line. After Elsa was sure they were safe, she grabbed the back of the redhead's cloak, causing her to lose her footing and tumble to the ground.

"I'm not taking another step until you tell me what was going on."

The redhead looked up at the blonde woman, smirking. "I was taking back what belongs to me."

"And that is?"

"Doesn't matter." The redhead grabbed the bag from Elsa, slinging it over her shoulder.

Elsa raised an eyebrow but soon dismissed it. After all, she had secrets of her own, so who was she to force others to reveal theirs?

Suddenly, the redhead stuck her hand out towards Elsa, scaring her slightly.

"Hi, I'm Anna!"

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Well, I did it! This is the first chapter of a story that was brainstormed between myself and _Kasierklee_. (Go check out his stuff if you're looking for something good to read after reading the crap I write.) **

**It's set in the Avatar Universe, but will feature only name drops of canon characters (Since it's a full cycle after Korra, so everyone is dead. ) This will be interesting to see how I can merge Norwegian and Asian cultures...**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. The Enigmatic and the Inquisitive

"So, I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?" Anna asked.

The pair had stopped walking, instead taking a moment to catch their breath as they hid in the shadows of the forest. Anna was in the middle of reattaching her cloak when she started up conversation again.

"Not quite," Elsa replied, looking away from Anna.

"What, you hid behind a door for years until now?" A smile crept on the redhead's face but immediately faltered when her companion didn't laugh.

"No. I've just been wandering around for a while."

"A while? How long exactly?"

A pause. Elsa worried that she was divulging too much information too soon, but realized that none of it was extremely revealing. And for some reason, the woman in front of her seemed trustworthy. Or maybe it was the fact that Elsa hadn't really talked to anyone in a long time. "About five years."

"Five years?!" Anna stepped in front of Elsa to gain her attention, and their eyes met. "Five? And you've been doing this alone? You're, what, 24 years old and you've just been wandering around?"

"First, I'm 21." Elsa straightened her back, standing taller than the redhead. "And yes, I've been traveling alone."

"So, you're homeless then?" Anna eyed Elsa, studying the taller woman. "That's so cool! I've never met a homeless person before! But, you don't look like a bum."

"I prefer the term 'nomadic'." The blonde crossed her arms in front of her. "And I take care of myself."

"Wait, if you are home- nomadic, why come here?"

"I wanted to see the festival," Elsa murmured, suddenly ashamed of her childish answer.

"Why? It's just another one of the firebending festivals."

"I'd rather not divulge my reasons." Elsa started walking, leaving Anna behind, but the woman quickly caught up to her, matching her strides. The silence was broken only by their footsteps as they walked around the village in the tree line. Elsa admitted, she didn't know exactly where she was going. She had only been to this town once before for the same festival and had not taken the time to sketch out a map of it. She slowed down her steps a bit to let Anna lead the walk, hoping the woman would bring them to the main road.

Elsa used this silence to get a good look at her walking partner. Anna was shorter than her, but only by a few inches – most likely placing the woman at 5'6. Her red hair was braided into pigtails, one over each shoulder although a rapid turn of her head could send a pigtail flying. Her skin was heavily freckled, typical of people with her hair color, but was also slightly tan. Most likely a mixed heritage, Elsa thought. Anna wore a simple red tunic with short sleeves and an open collar, and was embroidered at all the edges - typical of the latest fashion, as was the gold armband she wore on her left bicep. Along with baggy dark red pants and open toed sandals, all covered with a black cloak, her outfit completed the image of an average middle class citizen living in a firebending village. Elsa wondered how someone like Anna could get mixed up with those thugs, but she was pulled from that thought by the very person she was thinking about.

"So, white, huh?" Anna chirped, looking at Elsa.

"What?" Elsa slowed her pace to match her confusion.

"You can bend white fire. That's got to be pretty cool. Is it some sort of special move?" Elsa froze in her spot as she remembered the end of the fight. In a wave of panic earlier, she had revealed one of her more unique traits – white fire. And Anna had seen it.

"I don't think so, no." She continued walking, hoping to drop this topic.

"So, you've been bending white as long as you can remember? Is it a family trait?"

"No!" Elsa blurted out before she reigned herself back in. "Not a family trait. It, uh, seems to be exclusive to me," The conversation was quickly heading down a path she didn't like. "Well, what about you? A chi blocker? Why didn't you do that in the first place?" Elsa smiled at her quick thinking as she turned to start walking once again.

"And miss the great fight we just had?"

"Great fight? You cowered in the corner for half of it."

"I knew what I was doing."

"You didn't even look ready."

"Please. I was born ready."

A scoff came from the blonde as Anna laughed after her comment, seemingly content with the flow of conversation. Elsa was surprised at how relaxed she was around the redhead. There was something about this woman that seemed to pry open Elsa's defenses. And she couldn't decide if she liked it or not.

"You can stay with me tonight." Anna blurted, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I mean, only if you want."

Elsa stopped walking again, looking at Anna with large eyes. "What?"

"I can only give you a bed and some crappy breakfast in the morning. But, I figure it's better than sleeping on the ground outside."

"Why?"

"Well, you did help me out earlier," The redhead made eye contact with Elsa as she turned around to stand in front of her again. "And it's both the least and the most I can do."

The blonde stood still for a moment, weighing her options. It was a safe place to sleep – for once - and it did sound amazing compared to the hard ground that she normally called her bed. But, sleeping in a stranger's house made her uneasy. The thought of being vulnerable worried Elsa, but it eventually lost the fight to the allure of a warm bed and food.

"I accept," Elsa replied, a smile lighting up her features.

"Excellent!" Anna reached forward and grabbed the taller woman's arm, half-dragging her through the forest towards town.

"Here it is! Home!" Anna said, slightly out of breath from the trek. She was proudly standing in front of a small house with her hands on her hips. "Come on in!" She reached behind her, searching for Elsa once again to drag her to the door.

"Lead the way Anna."

The excited young woman fumbled with a key before unlocking the door and pushing it open, rushing inside.

Elsa took off her shoes and cloak and looked inside the small house as she entered, noticing almost immediately that everything was in pairs. Two chairs, two cups, two chests, and even two beds.

"Anna," Elsa began, walking around the small kitchen. "Do you live with someone else?"

"Oh, just Pappa. But he won't be home tonight since he's overseeing the festival, so I'll sleep in his bed and you can sleep in mine." Anna had kicked her shoes off, both landing against the wall and dropping to the ground and begun to take off her shirt before pausing. "Oh, if you want to wash up and all that, the bathroom is through those doors."

Elsa thanked her and made her way towards the bathroom. Opening it up, she was awed by the simple fact that it had electricity. Which meant there was running water. And with running water meant – she almost ripped back the curtain in excitement – a working shower. She hastily stripped off her clothing – a simple grey long sleeve with matching pants – and stepped into the shower.

Ten minutes and a thorough scrubbing later, she walked out of the bathroom, re-braiding her blonde hair. She turned to thank Anna once more but found the young woman asleep already on one of the beds. Content with the silence of the situation, Elsa herself laid down to sleep, passing out faster than expected.

Elsa woke up first, stretching on the thin mattress. Her hand hit a wall and she opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight in the house. A wave of panic overcame her before she fully awoke, remembering that she slept in Anna's house. She quietly turned to look at her host before snorting with laughter at the mess of bedhead on the redhead. Anna stirred, rolling over and mumbling something but Elsa couldn't understand it. She smiled though as she took in the sight of the sleeping woman, frowning when she realized what her next course of action was.

Slowly, Elsa rolled out of bed. The night of a worry-free sleep was amazing but she had to get going. She was trying to keep to a schedule and preferred to be early rather than late, deciding that an extra day's journey afforded her to take her time traveling. Elsa remade the bed, tucking the sheets in and smoothing out wrinkles before she crept toward the door. Sliding her feet into her boots, she grabbed her cloak and reached for the knob. As soon as she was about to place her hand on it, the door opened. She stumbled back in surprise and fell onto the bed as a man walked in.

"Anna, dear, wake up! I've got great-"The man paused when he made eye contact with Elsa. He froze where he was, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Who are you?"

Elsa looked at Anna before looking back at the man. "Anna's… friend."

"And you're leaving without waking her?" He seemed to gain motor functions again, moving away from the open door.

"Well, uh, I didn't want to wake her up…" Elsa found her legs and stood up. She picked her fallen cloak off of the ground and draped it over her arm.

"Well, 'Anna's friend', how did you two meet?" The man looked at Elsa with apprehension.

_Well, I don't blame him. He walks into his home to find a woman inside while his daughter is sleeping. I'd be suspicious too._

"Last night when she-"

"Morning Pappa!" Anna interrupted, stretching. "I see you've met my friend Elsa!"

The man paused once more, looking between the two women. Relief washed over his face as he visibly relaxed. "So, she was telling the truth." He smiled and moved to close the door, dropping some papers on the counter nearby. "How did you two meet?"

"We met at the festival last night." Elsa wondered if the smile Anna had would disarm her father enough to change the subject.

"I'm glad you had fun," Another smile lit up his face as he walked around the kitchen, grabbing dishes. "Would you like some breakfast before you go Elsa?"

The blonde looked back at Anna, who seemed to be watching the blonde for an answer. "Yes please."

"Excellent. Anna, take your friend to the garden and get some eggs from the turtle ducks while I get the oven started."

"Of course Pappa!" Anna jumped out of bed, rushing to the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Elsa watched her disappear, facing her father after the redhead was out of sight.

"So. Elsa," He began, watching the blonde as he pulled food from a small refrigerator. "Are you a local or just a visitor?"

"Visitor."

"I see." He glanced to the bathroom before walking up to Elsa, leaning towards her ear. "Please don't hurt her." Elsa didn't have a chance to reply before he walked away, reaching the oven right when Anna barreled out of the bathroom.

"Ready Elsa?" Red hair had been tamed into braided pigtails again. Anna walked towards her father. "We'll be back soon!" A quick peck on the cheek and she was out of the house, holding the door open for Elsa. The blonde was surprised at Anna's excitement but followed after her, gently shutting the door.

Anna was at the side of the house, grabbing a basket from under an awning. "Come on! We don't have that many so we'll only need one basket for the eggs."

"Anna, wait," Elsa began, reaching towards her. Anna ignored the comment and rounded the house. Elsa followed and saw a glimpse of red hair disappear into an old coop emitting various quacking sounds. She ducked inside and found her host kneeling in front of a duck with a green turtle shell on its back.

"Don't tell Pappa about last night." Anna said, her attitude changing from playful to serious, slowly reaching under the small animal. "He doesn't need to know what I was doing. It's better that we just tell him we met at the festival," After pulling out a small egg, she placed it in the basket and moved to the next one while Elsa turned around, mimicking Anna.

"So you aren't going to tell him about those thugs?"

"All he knows is that I'm his little girl who enjoys the same festival every year and has an obsession for turtle ducks."

"Does he know you can block chi?"

Anna turned around, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Of course he does. How else would I pay for the training?"

Elsa handed an egg to Anna before moving to the next animal. "Training?"

"You aren't born with it like bending," Anna replied, not even looking at Elsa. "You have to find a teacher and train for years. And since most people would rather use weapons than hand-to-hand combat, there aren't that many teachers. And the ones you do find are expensive."

Elsa nodded at the woman, looking down at another egg in her hand. "Was it easy?" The blonde almost dropped the egg when Anna let out a loud laugh, scaring the animals in the coop.

"Oh, hell no. It was so hard. And every time I didn't perform a move correctly, my teacher would use it against me. I'm more used to numb limbs than functioning ones actually," She smiled, standing up and taking the egg from Elsa. "But enough about that, it's time for breakfast. Let me do all the talking, ok?"

Elsa gave Anna a thumbs up as the pair walked out of the coop and back into the house. Anna's father had set dishes out for the three of them and was slicing bread when the two women came back into the house. Anna placed the basket on the counter and sat down at the table.

"So," Anna's father began, setting the toast and eggs at the table. "Tell me about yourself Elsa."

The blonde looked at her plate before meeting the man's eyes. "There isn't much, Mr… Uh, I'm sorry, what do I call you?"

"You can call me Agdar."

"Well, like I said, there isn't much. Left home to explore the world a few years ago and that's pretty much been my life ever since." She shrugged, focusing back on her food.

"A lonely trip, I'm sure." Elsa nodded as she reached for a piece of toast. "So what brings you to Paibi?"

"The festival."

The man tilted his head, studying Elsa for a moment before taking a bite of eggs. "What does a waterbender do at a fire festival?"

Elsa choked on her toast. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You look like a waterbender. Blue eyes and graceful movements."

"She's a firebender Pappa." Anna answered, wiping crumbs from her mouth and shirt.

"I have my mother's eyes. She was from the Northern Water Tribe while my father was from the Fire Nation Capital." Elsa smiled weakly, hoping her lie was convincing enough.

"Ah, a mixed-blood," Agdar concluded, taking another bite. "Ever since Avatar Aang reunited the world, it's been increasingly common."

Elsa looked back at her plate, scooting the eggs around with her fork while the others ate. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Agdar take a breath, seemingly about to ask another question.

"You said you have something to tell me Pappa?" Anna interrupted again. Elsa commended her mentally for her ability to divert a conversation.

"Oh! Yes dear, the best of news!" He pushed away from the table, almost sprinting to the counter where he had dropped off papers. After quickly shuffling through the pile, he grabbed one and rushed back, handing the folded sheet to Anna. "Open it dear." He sat at the edge of his seat eagerly awaiting Anna's action. The redhead wasted no time opening up the letter, taking a minute to read the note.

"Wait, is this for real?" Anna looked up at her father, a half smile forming on her own face.

"Yes! It's amazing! They've appointed me Festival Director after this year's success!"

Anna ran around the table, lunging to hug her father after his delivery of good news. "I'm so proud of you Pappa!"

"I get to elect my own committee and everything! And they increased my budget!"

Elsa played with her food as the pair continued to talk about the promotion. She realized after a few minutes that this was a private moment and silently stood up, grabbing her cloak once more as she made her way to the door.

"Elsa?" The blonde turned around, meeting Anna and Agdar's eyes. "Where are you going?"

Elsa smiled weakly, trying to seem polite. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to interrupt you two. I do appreciate the bed and breakfast that you two so kindly offered me, but I really must get going," She replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry, excuse my manners." Agdar broke off from the hug of his daughter, walking over to Elsa. "You must be late."

"Where are you off to next?" Anna asked, following her father until she stood right next to him.

"Oh. Uh, well I have to go to Ba Sing Se."

"Ba Sing Se!" Anna exclaimed, eye lighting up. She looked at her father before looking back at Elsa. "I've never been to a big city like that! Why are you going?"

"I'm picking up the Fall Festival listings." Elsa cursed herself almost immediately for telling the truth. She had to shake this redhead and quickly, or else she'd reveal more than her next stop on her trip.

"Fall Festivals? Those are airbending festivals though." Anna tilted her head at her comment, confusion in her eyes.

"I find that watching benders from different elements helps me with my own."

Anna mulled over the answer for a moment before turning to her father. "Pappa, can I go with Elsa?"

Agdar and Elsa shared a look of shock.

"Anna, I don't think that's a good-"

"Well, I don't see why not-"

The pair stopped and looked at each other, confused at the conflicting stance they had.

"I want to see the world Elsa. I want to explore outside of Paibi and go see other benders and other cultures and experience life outside this village."

"But what about safety?" Elsa asked.

"I took chi blocking lessons for years." Was that a wink from Anna? "Plus I'd be traveling with a firebender. Plenty of safety, I'd say."

Elsa turned to the father for help but the man seemed to be set on his first decision.

"Elsa, Anna is eighteen now. A young woman. She is old enough to make her own decisions. I can't say I'm completely happy that my little turtle duck is leaving the nest, but I know you'll keep her safe." Anna hugged her father tightly again at his comment.

"But what if I don't want a traveling companion?"

"You've been alone for five years. I think you could use some company," Anna countered.

Elsa couldn't lie about that. But she needed to go alone. Always alone. At least until she fulfilled her destiny.

"I'm sorry," Elsa began, dropping her head. "I can't take you with me."

"I'll be fine. Look, I'll even protect you," Anna countered.

"It's not me I'm worried about." Elsa turned and opened the door, letting sunlight stream into the house. "Thank you for giving me a bed and breakfast. Your hospitality is much appreciated." The blonde walked out the door and shut it gently before throwing her cloak over her shoulders.

This was for the best, Elsa thought. She walked down the short path out of the yard, not looking back as she made her way towards the main road. A quick body pat let her know that her small bag was slung over a shoulder and that she didn't leave anything behind. Elsa found the main road, and was turning right to start her walk out of town when she heard a voice. A _familiar _voice.

"Elsa!" The blonde sighed mentally before picking up her pace, hoping to shake the girl. A shoe flew by her head, alarming Elsa as she turned around to find the shooter. Anna stood a few yards away, out of breath.

"I'm coming," she stated, straightening herself up. "And there is nothing you can do or say to persuade me otherwise."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Chapter 2! Woo. Well, things are starting to get interesting, I'm sure. :) **

**Thanks to _KaiserKlee_ for being my beta for this. Both on plot and my horrible writing. **

**As always, if you have any questions, please let me know! :D **


	3. The Fire and the Ice

Elsa stared at the shoe before looking over her shoulder, eyeing the persistent woman. She turned and started down the main road, leaving Anna behind.

"Wait! Don't leave!" Anna shouted, fumbling for her shoe

"You shouldn't have thrown your shoe at me then." Elsa continued walking, fighting back a smile. Half a minute later, Anna caught up to her.

"You could have waited for me you know."

"I could have. But I have a schedule to keep and you were not a part of it."

Anna looked at the taller woman as her jaw dropped. "Am I really that annoying that you'd refuse a traveling companion to the city?"

Elsa stopped and looked at the redhead. "What?"

"You constantly tried to leave without saying something as simple as a 'goodbye'. First when I was sleeping before Pappa came home, and then at breakfast!" Anna threw her hands up. "And yeah, maybe you never invited me to come along, but you could have told me where you were off to before disappearing. We saved each other's lives, dammit. That's something that you just don't forget or walk out on."

Elsa looked down at her feet for a moment before looking back up. Anna didn't say anything as she kept her gaze locked onto her. Elsa felt the words form on their own as they spilled from her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I've never traveled with anyone before. I've been on my own for a while and never had to wait for anyone."

"If I make you uncomfortable, just let me know before we are halfway to Ba Sing Se and I'm stuck walking home alone."

Elsa fiddled with her cloak, unsure of what to say. It wasn't so much that Anna made her uncomfortable. Quite the contrary. She felt weirdly at ease with the redhead after such a short amount of time. But it was the idea of waiting for someone and trusting someone that bothered her.

"No. You don't make me uncomfortable." She faced Anna again. "I'm just not used to having such a persistent follower."

Anna smirked. "You make it sound like you're a religious figure and I'm some apostle."

A quiet laugh escaped Elsa. "If I was some God or Chosen One, you would have listened to me in the first place."

The pair continued their journey in silence as the situation diffused itself. Elsa was glad the brief conflict ended on a good note while Anna seemed entirely unaffected by the conversation. Maybe, Elsa thought, Anna would be content to just walk in silence until they-

"So, tell me about yourself!" Anna began, hiking up her knapsack. The pair had left the town limits, truly starting on the three-day journey to Ba Sing Se.

"There isn't really much." Elsa shrugged, wondering if Anna knew the meaning of being quiet.

"Oh come on!" Dragging out the last syllable, Anna skipped in front of the blonde. "Let's make a game out of it! You tell me a fact about yourself, and I'll reveal a fact. We just take turns."

"Sounds like what people use to find out more about the person they are dating."

"Or their traveling companion."

"I can't think of anyone who would want to travel with a shoe-thrower."

"It didn't hit you though! Here, I'll go first." Anna looked up at the sky, squinting her eyes. "Ah, found one! Oh man, it's a good one. Okay, so I've never ridden a Dragon Bird spirit!"

Elsa's face lost all emotion as she stared at Anna. "Of course you haven't. No one has."

"Avatar Korra did."

"She's the Avatar. Of course she rode one. Besides, they live in the Spirit World."

"But Avatar Korra linked both the worlds!"

"Yes, but have you seen a Dragon Bird spirit here?"

Dejection grew on Anna's face. "Well, no."

A light laugh escaped Elsa as she patted Anna on the back. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just, you can't use that fact because it pertains to everyone."

"Then I'll just have to pick a new one." Another pause as Anna stared off into the distance. Elsa wondered if the redhead even had any other facts to share. "Bingo. It's the perfect fact. I've never left home alone."

Elsa rolled her eyes, to which the redhead responded with a scoff. "You can't use that one either, Anna. You said earlier that you've never been to a city before."

"Doesn't mean that I never left Paibi."

"Where else would you go? Another town?"

Anna snorted and crossed her arms. "Well if you're so good at fun facts, then you go first."

"Gladly." Elsa smiled at her before looking down the road. "I've been to seventy-six festivals in the past five years."

"Seventy-six!?" Anna stopped walking all together, letting her mouth hang open. Elsa walked right by her with the intent to keep to her schedule, looking back to make sure Anna hadn't fallen over from shock. The redhead pulled out of her daze as quickly as she entered it, catching up to Elsa. "You've been to seventy-six festivals in five years? How is that even possible?"

"Proper planning," Elsa replied, smiling at the shorter woman.

"What kind of festivals?"

"Any I could find. Mostly bending ones, although I did go to the Winter Solstice ones in the South."

"What do you do there? I mean, I know you said you watch other benders, but doesn't that get boring after a while?"

Elsa clicked her tongue. "Uh uh. It's _your_ turn for a fact."

Anna stared at the blonde before furrowing her eyebrows at her. "Fine. Let's see. Mamma was like your father." Elsa raised an eyebrow at Anna, trying to put together what she just said. They were alike? What did Anna know about her father? "I mean, she was a firebender. Pappa is a non-bender, but they fell in love anyway. She got kicked out of her family for it actually."

"I'm… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. After all, they had me!" Anna smiled. "And besides, when I was old enough, Mamma brought me to her family to show them what an amazing and beautiful daughter she had, but they were all stuffy and rude."

"And your mother now?"

Anna looked away. "She died in a mugging-gone-wrong a few years later. That's when I started my chi blocking classes."

"I'm so sorry," Elsa began, unsure of how to comfort Anna. She reached up and laid a hand on her shoulder before pulling back. Elsa was never good at emotional interactions.

"It's alright. She's in a better place, I'm sure. Pappa says that she watches over us and protects us. That she is our guardian spirit."

A moment of silence grew between the two before it was Elsa's turn to disrupt it. "Well, I'm sure she's riding a Dragon Bird spirit right now in honor of you."

Anna smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Yeah."

"Listen, we don't have to do this anymore."

"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ruin the mood!" Anna turned to Elsa and frowned.

"It's fine. We can walk in silence for a bit. Besides, I can't let you in on all my secrets so early in the trip." Elsa smirked at Anna before picking up her pace, salvaging the mood between the two women.

For hours, Anna and Elsa walked in peace down the road, occasionally stopping for food or rest. They were making good time, Elsa figured, but the sun was starting to set and the air was cooling down. Night time. The blonde looked around before heading off the road towards a big tree.

"Elsa?" Anna asked, quickly catching up to her. "What are you doing?"

The blonde turned to Anna and quirked an eyebrow up at her question. "Setting up camp? It's almost nighttime."

"Setting up…? Wait, what? We aren't going to an inn?"

Elsa hid her laugh behind her hand. "No, I don't have money for an inn."

"Well, where are we sleeping then?" Anna stared at Elsa as the blonde set down her knapsack on the flat ground. The redhead looked horrified. "On the ground? With the bugs?"

"I have a spray for our cots that keeps bugs away. I picked it up a few towns ago. It works pretty well." Elsa dug in her sack, pulling out a thin bed roll and a bottle of green liquid. She unrolled the thin padding and smoothed it out. Anna looked expectantly at Elsa while she pulled a sheet from her bag.

"Where's mine?" Anna asked, watching as her companion put the back at one end of the cot.

"What do you mean? You didn't bring one?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"How did you think we were sleeping every night?"

"At an inn, like normal people!"

"And do you have money to afford sleeping at an inn?"

"Well, no. I thought you did?" Elsa didn't say anything, instead choosing to wait for the redhead to put the pieces together. "Oh, wait. _Nomadic_. That makes more sense."

"Atta girl," Elsa said, standing up from her cot. "Here, you can use my cot until we get to Ba Sing Se. And then our first stop is getting you your own bedroll."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't offer it if I wasn't."

Anna thanked Elsa before dropping her own bag, crawling under the sheet in the summer air. Elsa pulled off her cloak, laying it on the ground as a makeshift blanket. They laid in silence as the sun dipped below the horizon, both staring up at the stars through the leaves.

"Have you ever been to Ba Sing Se?" Anna whispered.

Elsa looked over at Anna and found the girl's attention unbroken from the stars. "Once. It was my first festival actually."

"Were you scared?"

"Of course. I was only sixteen."

Anna turned her head towards Elsa, making eye contact in the early moonlight. "What about now?"

Elsa propped herself up on her elbow to fully face Anna. "Not really, I suppose. I've been to enough towns and cities to feel comfortable in them." Elsa paused as an idea came to her. "Are you?"

Anna looked away. "A little. I've never even left Paibi on my own, and now I'm going to one of the largest cities on the continent."

"Oh." Elsa laid back down, folding her arms over each other. "If it helps, having a plan makes me less nervous. Tomorrow we can go over the remainder of the trip."

"I'd like that," Anna's smile was barely visible but Elsa caught it and smiled back. "Hey Elsa?"

"Yeah?"

"Night."

"Goodnight."

Anna seemed to fall asleep first, the telling signs of snoring and steady breathing grew from the redhead. Elsa smiled before rolling over, taking deep breaths as she too fell asleep.

"No food either?!"

"Anna, what part of 'unemployed nomad' did you not understand?"

"Apparently all of it! How do you eat?"

"Like a normal person?"

"You know what I mean." Anna threw her hands up. "Do you just not eat at all? Do you hunt animals or something?"

"Anna, I'm not a savage. I do grunt work during festivals for petty cash or food. That's how I eat."

"Oh." Anna rubbed her stomach again. "And how far away are we from Ba Sing Se?"

"Less than two days, unless you want to sit here and whine some more."

"No no, I'm good. Let's go. Quickly." Anna began walking down the road, not even waiting for Elsa to finish packing up the sleeping roll. The blonde smiled to herself as she slung the bag over her shoulder and began following after Anna.

"Okay, Elsa, we have to stop. Maybe I can just drink my weight in water and pretend like I just ate a full course meal." It was close to noon and the pair had been traveling non-stop for about six hours. Elsa and Anna passed the time the same way they did the day before with useless facts like favorite colors, animals, and ideal lifestyles. They had come to a large lake and upon Anna's urging, took a break.

"Whatever floats your boat." Elsa shrugged and dropped the bag down, kneeling next to it. She rifled through its contents, pulling out a waterskin moments later. Elsa looked over at Anna and found the woman on her hands and knees drinking water from the lake. "It looks like we have enough time to rest for thirty minutes, maybe a little more. Here, fill this up before you drain the lake." Elsa tossed the waterskin towards Anna, who looked up just in time to catch the empty container.

"Sure, okay," she replied in between gulps, not even caring about the water dripping down her face. Elsa watched as Anna pulled the cork off the waterskin with her teeth and dipped it in the lake, watching the air bubbles leave the flask. Right before Anna was about to pull it out of the water, she paused. "Elsa!" She whispered harshly, successfully gaining the blonde's attention. "Elsa, there are fish in this lake. How good are you at fishing? Or better yet, how good are you at cooking?" The woman bent down to try and catch it as a ball of fire shot past her left ear, disappearing into the lake in a puff of steam. "Elsa! What was that fo-"

Anna spun around, mouth open in preparation to yell at Elsa but dropped the waterskin instead. Familiar faces had shown up and they weren't friendly.

"Missed me?" Bjarte said, crossing his arms as he stood in front of a group of twelve other men and women. Some were on top of ostrich horses while others stood beside them. And all of them looked ready to fight.

"You again…" Anna said, taking a step back and into the lake.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought some friends, thief. It'll be easier on both you and Whitey if you just hand over that bag."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa saw Anna reflexively grab the strap to the bag and look towards her. With no verbal communication, Elsa got the message and instantly moved into a defensive stance, shifting herself in front of Anna. Bjarte narrowed his eyes at the pair before waving a hand, signaling a go-ahead from his friends. Two of them, a man and woman, jumped off their mounts and ran at Elsa and Anna. Moving her hands in a blur, Elsa shot white fire at them, but they easily dodged each blast. The man stopped and leapt towards a rock only to push off it and launch himself in the air while the woman flipped over the fire, landing safely – and closer- to the women.

Elsa dove away from Anna, dodging the man's aerial blast. She rolled and popped up, this time sending a blast towards him. The pair exchanged attacks while Anna squared off against the woman, thinking of a way to get close. Every time she saw an opening for a jab, flames cut off her chance and she retreated back.

While the pair fought, the remaining thugs had silently dismounted and surrounded Anna, using numbers to their advantage. Elsa looked over her shoulder while redirecting a blast and noticed first. She quickly faced her attacker and moved her feet in a complex pattern, circling the man and swapping positions. With his back to the group circling Anna, Elsa let loose a flurry of short blasts, getting up close to the man. With a big attack to distract him, she slid to his side and grabbed his arm, using her momentum to launch the man over her shoulder and into a few of the other thugs. While this was successful in breaking their attention from Anna for a few short moments, it also garnered more of them to come after Elsa.

_This could be going better_ Elsa thought, stepping backwards as four men walked toward her with their fists up. She knew she was outmatched immediately, dropping her stance in a hopeful sign of peace. The men didn't accept her sign and launched individual attacks at her, forcing her further away from Anna. The redhead had finally gotten close to her attacker, jabbing fingers in precise motions to block the woman's chi. After watching the woman slump to the ground, Anna turned to see the group advancing on her as Elsa moved in and out of sight. They stopped moving but held their stance as Bjarte walked up, staying a safe distance away from Anna.

"Last chance sweet cheeks. And no more tricks this time. Give me back what is mine."

"It's not yours," Anna hissed, backing up towards the lake again. "It never was."

"My empty wallet says differently," he replied, scowling. "But lately, you are more trouble than the scroll is worth. And if it was of any use, maybe Whitey over there would know a different style than Basic." He jabbed a finger behind him as Elsa flashed into full sight, ducking under a group attack.

"Elsa," Anna said, just loud enough for the blonde to hear her. Elsa turned and made eye contact with her before focusing on the advancing group of thugs behind Anna. They moved in sync as they attacked, launching a wave of fire towards the redhead.

"Anna!" Elsa screamed, planting her foot and yanking her hands in an arch. Water leapt from the lake and surrounded Anna, creating a shield between the woman and the fire. Jagged spikes appeared on the dome, keeping anyone away. Time seemed to stand still as she watched the final spike finish growing on the icy dome. All the thugs' jaws dropped. Everyone stilled. Silence ruled the air as even Elsa found herself holding her breath.

"Ice?" Anna whispered, reaching out and touching the protective cover. Elsa's eyes were wide at her sudden slip.

"No," Elsa whispered, taking a step back. She looked at Anna before focusing on her attackers. Murmurs of 'the avatar?' and "I saw her firebending minutes ago," floated through the crowd. Her head whipped from side to side as she focused on each new comment, letting them ring in her head. Old fears bubbled up to the surface as she fully realized what she just did. A lapse of judgment and spark of panic caused her to subconsciously waterbend. She looked at her hands briefly before returning her gaze on the attackers, who seemed to be coming out of their daze.

"Help!" Anna yelled, backing up as the ice wall melted under a group attack by thugs. Elsa immediately left her own attackers and turned her attention on Anna. She spun and pulled more water from the lake, forming a whip of water that extended out past her left arm. She ran and used her free hand to soak the ground in water before turning it into ice. Elsa jumped as the ground iced over, landing on the freshly frozen ground and slid towards Anna, using her water whip to move attackers out of the way.

Before Elsa got to Anna, she was tackled by a thug, throwing her off course and slamming into the ground. With her concentration lost, the water on her arm dissipated. The man who tackled her was on his feet already, pointing a fist at Elsa. It sparked a moment later, sending a ball of fire at Elsa but the blonde rolled away just in time, scrambling to get up. After pulling more water from the lake for another whip, she slammed it into the man, throwing his wet body into another. When they hit the ground, Elsa froze the two together, trapping them in ice.

Elsa took a moment to catch her breath, making eye contact with other gang members who had watched her encounter. Some backed away while others stood still, whether with fear or shock she didn't know. She was about to attack one of the women who was brave enough to take a step forward towards her when she suddenly felt immense heat. Spinning around, she watched as Bjarte led four other benders into a synchronized attack against Anna, following a motion she had seen days before at the festival. Fire raced towards Anna at a maddening speed, leaving the ginger with no time to see it. Anna jumped to the side to dodge but the combined prowess of the five benders controlled the flames to move with her. They followed her dive and hit their target, lighting the redhead's clothes on fire and burning various parts of her exposed skin.

Something snapped in Elsa. An overwhelming sense of fury and panic and other emotions that Elsa had never experienced before triggered something that no one had witnessed in decades.

The wind picked up immediately, swirling around Elsa as her eyes flashed to white. All the ice thawed and circled above her, creating a moving ball of water. The lake started draining into the sphere, adding to the moving mass. Once the lake had joined, the ball compressed, shrinking in size. It seemed to solidify, resembling a frozen sphere of ice. The only give away was the constantly changing distortions found inside, revealing its current state. Glowing eyes searched and found their target as rage lined Elsa's face. A pale hand shot out towards Bjarte and a smaller ball of water shot towards him, forcing the firebender to the ground. Other balls of water had similar effects on everyone else, knocking them off their feet and drenching them. Elsa pulled her hand upwards and the water froze everyone in place.

While others were immobilized with their feet and legs frozen to the ground, Anna found that only her injuries were frozen. And oddly, the ice on her body was white instead of the clear blue that trapped others around her. Anna watched as Elsa walked over to Bjarte, leaving a trail of ice behind her. The woman grabbed his shirt and yanked him out of the ice before throwing him into the lake, freezing it moments later after he resurfaced for air. Anna followed the actions with a hanging jaw.

She looked up to Elsa and found herself making eye contact with the glowing white eyes of the Avatar, only to watch them fade back to blue as Elsa left the Avatar state. The blonde slumped the ground. Anna, finding herself able to fully move with the white ice, ran to her.

"Elsa?" Anna began, cautiously approaching the blonde. After a few moments of silence, Anna knelt down to discover that Elsa had passed out. The redhead looked around for a means of escape and saw the ostrich horses that were left untethered. She looked back at Elsa and got up, running towards two of the unfrozen animals.

Thankfully, the animals didn't flee at the sight of Anna running towards them. The redhead grabbed the reins on both beasts and led them toward the unconscious figure. It took a few tries but she eventually slung Elsa over the saddle of one of the mounts before she herself climbed up on the other one. With one last look at the men and women frozen to the ground behind them, Anna rode off with Elsa.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Thanks for being so patient with me so far for this story! I swear, it will all come full circle in Chapter 4. Questions will be answered, plot will appear, and all that jazz.**

**Props go to my beta, KaiserKlee, as well as CinnamonPearl for her insight into the story. :) Thanks you two. :)**


	4. The Princess and the Pauper

Elsa woke slowly, feeling stiff but well rested. Stretching on her cot like a cat, she blinked a few times before her vision cleared. She was looking up at the roof of a cave, lit by what felt like a strong fire. Rolling over to face the warmth, Elsa saw Anna through the flames. She was sitting near a fire with her knees drawn up to her chest, watching the flames flicker. It seemed she didn't notice Elsa wake up. The blonde began to sit up when the events earlier that day flashed back into her head.

Elsa pushed off the ground, backing into the wall of the cave, and the fire turned white and shot upwards, scorching the ceiling. She held her breath as Anna slowly looked up. Their eyes met as they watched each other through the white flames, neither moving an inch. Elsa gripped the surrounding rocks, hands turning white against the dark grey.

"So," Anna said, lifting her chin to analyze the woman better. "The Avatar, hmm?"

Elsa nodded, unable to break eye contact. The flames flickered back to their original color and size as she composed herself.

"And you've known for how long? Five years?" Elsa nodded again. Anna lowered her gaze back towards the fire, poking it with a stick she picked up from the ground. "That's what I thought."

Thought? Had Anna known? How? And for how long? Elsa was about to ask when it seemed Anna had read her mind.

"You were kind of careless, Elsa," Anna stated, her voice barely louder than the flickering of the fire.

"What?"

Anna's eyes had drifted towards the bag next to Elsa's cot. "Your notebook, for starters. I knew something was up when I flipped through it. You've got poses from all four elements in there. There is no reason a firebender would study airbending."

"When did you go through my-"

"It doesn't matter." Anna scoffed, leaning away from the campfire. She looked back at Elsa, squinting a bit. "But back to what I was saying. Your eye color was another give away. If you're going to lie about them, at least make up a believable lie."

Elsa's biggest secret was picked apart by some – wait, how old was Anna? She rolled her eyes and groaned. Some young girl from some podunk town had figured out her identity and she knew nothing about the girl. Perfect.

"So how much was true?" A clever topic change by Anna, but Elsa mentally noted to find out more about the woman later.

Elsa sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, catching the loose bangs. "Most of it, surprisingly. Mother was a waterbender and I did leave home when I was sixteen, but the reason was different." She stood up from the dark corner of the cave and sat next to the fire, opposite of Anna.

"My parents were both waterbenders of average skill; nothing outstanding like the benders from the Noble Families. I lived with them and my twin brother Kristoff in this small village just outside of the Northern Water Tribe capital." Elsa took a moment, gathering the words as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "It was an accident. I was in my room studying for a test when my brother came in, pestering me about something. I told him to get out, but he didn't listen."

Elsa shut her eyes, reliving the memories of that day five years ago. "It happened so fast. I turned and shouted at him and when I pointed towards him, that's when it happened. Air came from my hand or fingers or whatever and threw him against the window. He broke through, of course, and hit the tree headfirst outside. I ran. I didn't even grab the scroll I was studying. I just ran as fast as I could, as far as I could."

A shaky hand wiped away tears before returning to her lap. Elsa kept her eyes shut as she lowered her head to her lap, wrapping her arms around her torso. An easy way to let someone leave, she thought as a sob worked its way through her body. She expected Anna to leave. To walk out and not deal with this situation. It was what Elsa would do. It was what anyone would do.

"Well, I lied too."

"What?" A tear stained face looked up through the flames at Anna. She didn't leave?

"Mamma wasn't killed in a mugging. She left."

Elsa remained silent.

"It was when I was really young. Maybe five or six? All I know is that she left shortly after bringing me home from her family visit." Anna tossed a new log at the fire, watching as it breathed new life into the flames. "See, I'm part of a Noble family. Well, Momma was anyway, before she got kicked out. It turns out that after we visited her family, they were killed in some midnight raid. The police wrote it off as some sort of gang related thing. She left so they wouldn't find her and kill us." A tear rolled down her cheek before Anna could wipe it away. "Which is why I left home. Because if that gang had come after me, they would have attacked Pappa as well."

Pieces were falling into place as Elsa listened intently. Maybe the podunk redhead had more in common with her than she thought. "So, why learn chi blocking?"

"To protect myself in case they ever came after us. And maybe show Mamma that together, we can protect our family. To show her that she can come back."

"But is she alive? Do you know where she is?"

Anna looked at her feet, running her toes over the worn surface of the floor. "No. But I'm hoping that traveling with you will give me some clues!"

"Traveling with me? Anna, you're just going to Ba Sing Se and then we're splitting up."

"Maybe before you went all spiritual on me. But now that I know your secret, who else is going to help protect it?"

"I was doing fine on my own."

"And look where it got you! You completely froze a lake on top of revealing who you are to the Glohet Ogler!"

"Glohet Ogler?"

Anna stiffened before focusing on the fire, avoiding the glare from Elsa.

"Anna, do you know them? And wait, why were they chasing you in the first place? Does it have something to do with that scroll?"

Anna took in a deep breath before relaxing as she exhaled. "Yeah. I know them. They are from a neighboring town but regularly visit Paibi. That's when I saw the scroll." Anna reached behind her, pulling her bag up into her lap. Carefully, she pulled out an ornate maroon scroll case with gold engravings. Elsa watched as Anna ran her fingers gingerly over the container, pausing over a carved symbol on one of the ends.

"It belonged to my family," Anna said. "The symbol is, well, was, my family crest." Anna pressed her thumb into the design for a few moments before pulling back, looking at the indentation. She traced the impression on her finger before looking back to Elsa. "It's stupid now that I think about it, but the only reason I took the scroll was because it could have once belonged to Mamma. And that maybe she once held it."

Elsa frowned as she focused on the woman in front of her. "On the bright side, at least we have it now." She offered a sad smile to Anna before nodding towards the scroll. "But what's in it?"

"I'm not sure." Anna rolled the case over. Her fingers ghosted over the cap but didn't grab onto it. "I didn't have time to look at it before they started chasing me. It might be just a family list of names, or a bending scroll, or even some painting or a letter."

"Well, let's open it up and find out!" Curiosity overtook Elsa as she straightened her back, reaching for the case.

Anna turned away, shielding the scroll from Elsa's grasp. "Not now. Not tonight."

"Oh. Okay." Elsa replied, withdrawing her hand. She slumped forward, redirecting her attention to the fire in front of her. "Sorry I-"

"Maybe tomorrow, with better light? It might be a bending scroll so maybe it will help you out?" Anna leaned around the fire, catching Elsa's attention.

"I'd like that." Elsa looked up and smiled.

"By the way, you never told me your family name. Your mother's side of the family, I mean." Elsa was rolling up her bedroll as she glanced over at Anna. They had woken up early and started packing, ready to finish the last day of their trip. Elsa had decided to break the silence first in an effort to find more information out about her apparently new friend.

"I don't want it to reach the wrong ears, so don't tell anyone," Anna replied, poking at the dying campfire. The logs had turned to mostly ash with a few embers while both women slept. "But since we are the only ones around…" Anna lowered her voice to prevent any echo from leaving the cave. "Mamma was part of the Smørbrød family."

"Smørbrød?! Like, the Smørbrød? The ones who blended waterbending into firebending?" Elsa almost dropped her bedroll in surprise. Anna hushed her and looked around, hoping the words didn't echo far outside the cave. Elsa offered an apologetic smile before focusing on the redhead.

Anna blushed before fiddling with the embers. "Yep. The very same."

"But, Anna. Do you know what this means? You're rich! You don't have to live in Paibi anymore! You and your father can move to that estate and l-"

"But I can never claim it as my own," Anna interrupted. She shrugged as she let the stick hang from her hand. "That would be suicide. Whoever killed my family wanted the name Smørbrød to exist only in history books." Frowning, Anna looked up at Elsa.

"But don't you think you can protect yourself since you've mastered Chi-Blocking?"

Anna let out a loud laugh, startling Elsa. "I'd have to get close to you for any of my training to be effective. And that's just a one-on-one fight. I'm toast when I go up against a group. Why do you think I ran by you that night? I knew you couldn't resist jumping in the fight."

"I'd hardly call that jumping in." Elsa snorted. "I think what you mean is being pulled in against your will."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat." Anna smirked before kicking the embers with her boots, snuffing them out.

Elsa huffed as she slung her bag over her shoulder, watching Anna do the same. The walked toward the opening of the cave, squinting at the sunlight. Elsa glanced back toward the cave to double check that they left nothing behind while Anna continued towards the two mounts tied to a tree near a stream.

Content, Elsa turned back and left the cave, stepping into the sunlight. The warmth felt good on her skin after a night in the damp cave, and she stretched again. She turned to comment on the feeling when she froze in her place. "Anna…" Elsa began, taking a step forward and reaching out towards Anna. "Your hair…"

"What?" Anna pulled a pigtail from her shoulder and looked at it. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's…" Elsa took another step forward, eyeing the white strand between her fingers that certainly wasn't there yesterday. "Go look." She pointed toward the water nervously.

"What is it?" Anna walked over to the stream and knelt down staring at her reflection. "It's… It's white?" She fiddled with the braid, pulling it loose and unraveling it.

"How?" Elsa breathed out, walking behind her.

Anna eyed her image in the water before turning towards Elsa quickly. "Yesterday, at the lake."

"The lake?"

"When you went into the Ava-"

"Shh!" Elsa nearly shouted, covering Anna's mouth with her hand. "Don't say that."

"Say what? That you're the Av-" Elsa pressed her hand harder over Anna's mouth, muffling any sound that escaped. The redhead wrenched her head away, taking a deep breath before looking back at Elsa.

"I get it! When you got 'mad'." Anna narrowed her eyes at the blonde before standing up. She brushed the dust off her outfit as she walked away from the water. "Like I was saying, it's probably when you got mad."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't remember? When you froze everyone?"

"I froze you?!" Elsa's eyes widened at the information, stepping away from Anna.

"In a good way!" Anna reached out, resting her hands on Elsa's shoulders and stopping her movement. "Don't worry, I'm fine. You froze everyone, but I guess I had different ice? It healed me!" Anna removed her hands from Elsa, holding them in front of her. "See?"

That's right. Elsa was so concerned about revealing her secret that she forgot the very reason why she had in the first place. Anna had been burned. But when Elsa looked at Anna's hands the blisters were gone. Elsa stared at the freckled skin with her jaw hanging. "Healed? I… Anna, I never learned how to heal people."

"Well, you did it when you were mad, so I'm guessing you had the knowledge of…" A pause. "A book." A book? Did she mean her past lives?

"But, you don't mind? Your hair, I mean."

"Why should I? It's just my hair. It's kind of cool, in a weird way." Anna pulled away and walked towards the ostrich horses, rebraiding her hair. "Call me the most interesting woman in the world. A striped chi blocker traveling with… With someone of importance." Anna turned around and winked at Elsa.

After feeding the ostrich horses and loading their small bundle of supplies, the pair mounted up and began the last leg of the trip. Even with the major interruption yesterday, they reached Ba Sing Se sooner than expected.

"So this is the capitol of the Earth Kingdom." Anna looked at the giant rock wall in awe as they walked up to the gates. Everything about the entrance exuded order, from the immaculately carved walkway to the picture-perfect guards stationed at the wall. She could just barely make out soldiers walking along the top of the wall.

"Okay Anna, remember your fake name, just like we rehearsed." Elsa brushed off her tunic as they approached the guardsmen. One of the armor-clad men stepped forward, towering over both women.

"State your name and purpose," he commanded in a deep, monotone voice. Elsa wondered how often the man had to say that each day.

"I'm Joan, nice to meet ya!" Anna stuck her hand out in an effort to shake the guard's, but lowered it when the man glared at her.

"I am Kari, of the Southern Water Tribe," Elsa replied. She gestured to Anna and smiled apologetically. "Please excuse my friend. She is just eager to explore the city."

"Most are." The guard remained stiff as he looked over the two women. "What brings you to the Earth Kingdom's greatest city?"

"We are here to get the Fall Festival schedule." Elsa bowed smoothly followed by Anna's own shaky bow. "We ask for permission to enter and plan to stay here for three days."

The guard turned his head slightly towards the other one, who nodded.

"You two speak the truth and therefore have been granted access to the greatest city in the world."

As he finished, he stepped back and without so much as a gesture, took a step towards the gate in unison with the other guard. They both clenched their fists and brought their hands down, controlling a section of rock and revealing an opening in the wall.

"Do not cause trouble unless you wish to incur the strength of Ba Sing Se's military strength." With that comment, both guards returned to their positions as human statues while Elsa lead Anna and the mounts past the wall and into the outer ring.

"Anna, welcome to Ba Sing Se!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Sorry that this update is a bit off track from the other's. I was hoping to have a consistent schedule, but real life interrupted. Bleh. **

**As with the past few chapters, this one has information that is shown in the Avatar series. If something about this confuses you, please let me know and I'll help you out.**

**For those wondering: **

**Smørbrød, means SANDWICHES.  
><span>Glohet Ogler<span> means Scorching Lizards.  
><strong>


	5. The Animal and the Fight

"_This_ is the great city of Ba Sing Se? I expected there to be less… Animals." Anna stopped dead in her tracks as Elsa led the mounts past the unimpressed redhead. Frowning, she stared past her companion, attention drawn to the massive farms that seemed to never end, stretching into the distance. Anna crinkled her nose as the first whiff of fresh manure wafted over to her, making a disgusted sound. She blinked a few times before turning to watch Elsa.

"No, these are just the farms surrounding it. Ba Sing Se is inside that stone ring in the distance." Elsa pointed towards the horizon as Anna squinted, barely making out a small stone ring.

The ring, visibly only on the clearest days such as today, was home to the lower class of Ba Sing Se. Crime was a usual occurrence even though the people lived slightly less than comfortably and the streets were usually cleaned by the citizens living there instead of a street-cleaning service. The middle ring, home to merchants and factory owners, was smaller and maintained better. The streets were cleaner and guards patrolled on a regular basis. But the highest ring, visible only inside the city's main walls, was home to the wealthiest, including the Royal Family of the Earth Kingdom. All three were enclosed inside a much larger stone ring, separated only by a thousands of acres of farmland.

"Just how big is this place?" Anna muttered, following Elsa down the worn path towards the center ring. Corn stalks greeted them as they entered the farming fields.

"The city itself is pretty big, with about seven million people. One of the biggest ones in the world, I think. It is the capital of the Earth Kingdom after all."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Anna swung herself up onto her ostrich horse mount before taking off down the path, leaving Elsa behind.

"Anna! Wait!" Elsa followed suit, chasing after her eager companion as she raced past the farms and fields towards the city.

Thirty minutes later and it seemed like they hadn't made any progress. They had slowed down to a trot as Anna eagerly looked around, waving at farmhands and animals alike. Elsa, who was leading Anna on the ostrich horse, veered off the main path and headed towards a shepherd.

"Elsa? Elsa, where are you going?"

Elsa looked behind her, pulling on the reins to stop the animal. "We can't afford to bring these guys into the city. We have to sell them fir-"

"Sell them!? Elsa, are you insane! This guy is not going anywhere!" Anna stared Elsa down.

"And I suppose you have the animal fee for both of them? Or a boarding fee for both of them while we restock?"

"Uhh…"

"Exactly. Anna, we're broke and we need supplies. We can sell these guys and with that money we'll have a good jump on the fall festivals. And get you a bed so you can finally stop using mine."

Anna hung her head, slowly kicking at the rocks along the path. "Can we at least make sure they go to a good home?

Elsa smiled. "Of course."

An hour later, Elsa and Anna walked away from a farm. "Less than I thought we'd get, but still a nice cache of money," Elsa remarked, securing the folded bills and loose change in her bag.

"I don't know about those people. They seemed a bit reluctant to buy the animals."

"Anna, you said that about the past five farmers. And I'm sure you'd say that about the next ten. We sold the ostrich horses to a good home, trust me."

"I'm just saying, I think Ping and Pong didn't want us to leave."

Elsa turned to face Anna with her jaw open. "You named them?"

Anna returned the look. "You didn't!?"

The pair had boarded a shuttle into the city, which amazed Anna to no end as she ran from window to window watching the scenery pass by. Elsa sighed as she relaxed into the worn leather seat, remembering her first time on a shuttle, although she wasn't quite as energetic.

The ride was thankfully cheap, and short, stopping at the market center of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. Banners hung from windows, and streamers decorated lamp posts and market stalls. Flyers and posters covered any bare space on the walls, with some men and women passing out more. Since summer was winding down and the Fall Festivals were about to start, the whole marketplace was decorated in dark shades of red, yellow, and gray. Metalworkers and stoneworkers alike yelled to gather attention for their wares while children ran around with small streamers, laughing. The sweet smell of fruit worked its way through the shuttle's air vents as they passed the farmer's section of the market, covering the rusty scent of the passenger car. Elsa turned to Anna as the shuttle slowed down, ready to let off the next group of passengers.

"Alright Anna. You'll need to stay close and keep your bag guarded. This is a prime place for people to pickpocket and steal, and while Ba Sing Se has a good police force, most of the guards can be bought with bribes." Elsa stood up and tied her cloak together, protecting her own bag from prying eyes and hands. "Anna, did you hear me?"

"Yeah. Stay close, protect my stuff." Anna was still at a window, watching a pair of children chase a chicken around a cargo box. A dull mechanical tone sounded, letting passengers know it was safe to get off, and Elsa began to walk towards the nearest door, following an excited Anna.

After getting off, Anna immediately raced out the gates and into the throng of people. Elsa ducked and dodged people as she followed, trying to keep up with Anna, but she could never quite catch her. Minutes later of running, she found Anna, who had somehow wandered to one of the smaller streets in the marketplace.

"Elsa. Elsa! Come here!" Anna had her face pressed against the glass of the shop she stood in front of, visibly shaking. Taking a step back, Elsa read the sign and sighed, mentally preparing herself for the conversation.

It was a pet store.

"Anna, come on, let's keep moving."

"Wait! We have to go in!"

"Why? What could entering a pet store possibly do for us?"

Anna pulled her eyes away from the animals inside and stared Elsa down. "Maybe there is an animal here that can help us. That can help you." She paired the last word with a wink, causing Elsa to step close to the shorter woman.

"I don't need help from an animal, Anna."

"But you need an animal guide! One that can help you through your journeys and protect you! "

"I doubt my animal guide will be found in a pet shop."

"But it can't hurt to look! Oh, what if there is a fire ferret! Or a cat owl! Oh, those are the cutest! Please, Elsa!"

The blonde looked past Anna and into the store. It seemed clean and was certainly one of the lesser shady stores in this part of the city. Elsa looked back at Anna. "We can _look_."

Anna squealed and ran inside the store, not even bothering to hold the door open for Elsa. She rolled her eyes and followed Anna inside, mentally preparing herself for the smell and sounds she knew accompanied these places.

And it did not disappoint. Elsa smelled all the telling signs of a pet store: hay, dry food, and, unfortunately, waste. She crinkled her nose as she searched for Anna, who seemed to have disappeared in the maze of animal cages, crates, pens, and tanks.

"Look! A turtle duck! Just like the ones back home! And, ew, elephant rats. I'll pass." Anna flashed into sight as she zipped across the aisle, looking at other animals in the store. An elderly woman approached the two.

"Hello, and welcome to Aunt Bik's Pet Shop! I'm Aunt Bik." The woman smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. "May I help you two young ladies?"

"Just looki-"

"Yes, actually! We are looking for a pet that is very," Anna paused as she searched for the right word. "Helpful."

The elderly woman nodded as she looked around the store. "I might have what you two ladies are looking for." She turned around and walked towards the back corner of the store, leading Elsa and Anna towards the avian pets.

"We have quite a few handy animals here, if you are looking for a flyer." She fiddled with the latch on one of the doors and reached in, pulling out a sparrowkeet. "This here is Kyoshi. I named her after Avatar Kyoshi for her strength and determination!" The woman held her free hand over her heart in a sign of respect before focusing back on Elsa and Anna. "She's a bit hot headed, but she is a fine bird!"

Anna studied the animal, tilting her head back and forth before shaking it. "I don't think this bird will do. She's pretty, but I was thinking of maybe a mammal?"

"Completely fine! Some people prefer the company of fur over feathers." She placed Kyoshi back in her cage before closing the latch and wandering to an aisle on the other side of the store. "We just got these two fellas in last week! All the rage in the Upper Ring!" Aunt Bik turned to look at the young women, smiling again.

"Rabaroos? _They_ are all the rage?" Elsa didn't look convinced at the sight of the two pups together in the pen.

"Oh, but Elsa, aren't they cute!" Anna bent down, enticing the animals to hop toward her. She reached through the posts to pet the lighter colored one.

"Anna, do you realize how big those get?" Elsa scoffed as she remembered why they were there. "And I never said you could get a pet! Where did you get that idea?"

"Couple problems?" Aunt Bik said, winking. "Happens all the time. I'll just give you two some spa-"

"We are not a couple!"

"Oh, so you two are sisters?"

Elsa sighed and crossed her arms, staring down the shopkeeper. "We are not dating nor are we sisters. Just _friends_."

Aunt Bik looked both women over before smirking. "Well, dear, regardless of your past and future, I must ask what brought you into my sto-"

"What about this one?" Anna had wandered toward a small brown animal that was separated from the others. Kneeling in front of it, she stuck her arm through the post and wiggled her hand to entice the animal.

"Oh, that little fellow?" Aunt Bik walked over towards Anna with Elsa on her heels.

"A singing groundhog?" Elsa said, shocked. "Why do you only have one?" She turned to the shopkeeper, who shrugged in response.

"I usually sell them in pairs, you see, because they thrive on companionship, but a woman came in last week and would only buy one. I told her it was a set, but she paid triple the price for just one. I couldn't decline the generous offer." Aunt Bik dropped her head, looking at the animal. "Other animals here don't like him because he was upset his partner left and whined for days, and he won't let me care for him. I am actively searching for another one, but I fear that I won't find one in time."

Anna rested back on her heels, looking up at the two women. Elsa looked away while the shopkeeper frowned.

"Elsa! We have to get that animal!" Anna jumped up and grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. "We have to save his life!" Anna turned toward the shopkeeper. "It's a boy, right?"

Aunt Bik smiled and nodded, looking hopeful. "Would you like to buy him? I can offer a very low price for him if you want."

Elsa took a step back, getting out of Anna's grasp. "Anna, I told you we can't get a pet."

"But Elsa, look at him. He will die if he doesn't get a friend!"

"Anna, I-"

"Please Elsa! Look, I'll take care of him. He'll be my responsibility."

Elsa turned to look at the animal. It had wandered to the fence, looking at the trio that towered above it. She had to admit, the animal didn't look good. Its fur was starting to fall out and the animal moved slowly, as if it has no energy. The animal leaned back on its hind legs before losing its balance and falling back on all fours. It looked up at her before lying down against the posts of the fence, fur sticking out through the small openings. Anna looked up with big eyes while Elsa sighed heavily and looked back towards Aunt Bik.

"How much?"

"What should we name him?" Anna asked, holding the new addition to the group. Along with the animal, they had gotten a little collar and a bag of food for it.

"Didn't you say it was your responsibility?" Elsa looked over her shoulder at Anna, half smiling.

"Doesn't mean you can't pitch an idea!" The redhead stuck her tongue out and looked back at the animal. "Besides, like it or not, he's yours too." Elsa scoffed before looking forward, leading the pair back towards the market center.

"Well, he is an animal found in the Earth Kingdom, so maybe a name to reflect his heritage?"

"Brilliant!" Anna smiled and caught up to Elsa, walking beside her. "Ok, so I've met only a few Earth Kingdom natives so I might need more help…" She smiled at the blonde.

"Well, do you want him to be named after someone great, like that bird in the shop, or just some normal name?"

"Elsa!" Anna snapped, stopping in the streets. "Don't talk about your-"A pause. "Your _idol_ like that." She looked around before stepping close to Elsa. "I'm pretty sure you're being conceited right now."

"Fine." Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm making the executive decision and I'll start thinking of normal names."

"How about Kun?"

"We are not naming an Earth Kingdom animal _earth_. I know you're more creative than that, Anna."

"Makes sense to me." Anna mumbled. They walked past small shops and carts in silence, Elsa looking for a cot for Anna while the redhead brainstormed her next suggestion. "Wait, what about Gexiao?"

"Gexiao…Laughing song… That could work. He is a singing groundhog after all. Although, I have to say, he doesn't live up to that name right now."

"But once he gets better! Once he starts singing or whistling or whatever these guys do, it will make sense!"

"Well, I suppose Gexiao it is," Elsa smiled.

The pair rounded the corner of the street, finding themselves back in the market center. "Okay, this time just stay close to me, _please_." Elsa stressed the last word as she started walking towards a stall selling traveling equipment. She reached into the folds of her cloak, grabbing the small wad of money they had. Elsa turned around to ask Anna a question but instead saw the woman wandering away. Within a second, Elsa had stepped towards the woman and grabbed her cloak, yanking her backwards.

"Anna!" She hissed, pulling her back towards the stall. Narrowing her eyes, Elsa stepped close to Anna and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "Stay close. We can explore after we get your bed. Do I have to hold your hand like a child, or will you promise to not wander for five minutes?"

"Elsa," Anna whined, leaning away in an attempt to get out of Elsa's grasp. "I'm an adult, I don't need to be watched constantly. I won't get lost, I promise." Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Look, I'll just be over there, looking at the flyers on the wall." Anna pointed toward the wall filled with posters of every size and color.

"Fine." Elsa released Anna, who stumbled back a step before steadying herself. She watched as Anna quickly made her way to the wall, looking back to give Elsa a thumbs up before turning around, adjusting Gexiao.

Elsa quickly stepped up to the stall, buying the cheapest cot for Anna as well as a few blankets. After paying for the items, she folded them and walked over to Anna, who seemed to be focusing on one large poster in particular.

"Here, put these in your bag and then we can g-"

"Elsa, can we go to this?" Anna pointed towards the green and gold poster depicting various people. All six of them were in matching uniforms bending different elements, each fighter wearing a colored belt matching the element they were bending.

Elsa focused on the poster, reading the text out loud. "Championship pro-bending match at… Anna, do you know how much those cost?!" Her head turned towards Anna fast enough that her braid almost hit her in the face. "We could barely afford a preseason match, let alone the Championship!" Elsa stepped back, reaching out for Anna's arm to pull her away.

"But Elsa! I've never been to one! All I hear are these stories of awesome benders and crazy fans! Not to mention how much watching different fighting styles will help you out! You can even sketch some with your notebook!"

"Anna, we barely had enough spare money to buy Gexi-

"_Save_ Gexiao, you mean," Anna corrected, hugging the sleeping animal to emphasize her words.

"To _save_ Gexiao. And we are supposed to spend the rest of our money on a fight than get food and a place to sleep tonight?"

Anna paused, looking back and searching the poster as if the answer was written on it. A smile slowly grew on her face as she turned to look back at Elsa. "I think I have a way to get both."

"This won't work."

"Oh sure it will. This time, follow _my_ lead and before you know it, we will be watching people beat up other people for free! Er, also for you to learn fighting styles." Anna smiled to herself as she brushed off her outfit. Instead of the usual red tunic, Anna had changed into a tighter gold one with shorter sleeves and a lower neckline. The top showed off her lithe body as the material clung to her skin. She unraveled her braids and fluffed her hair as well, adding to the allure.

The plan was simple: Find the backdoor to the arena, flirt with whoever was at the door to get in, and find the best seats available. All they had to do was find the door.

Anna came out of the bathroom stall she had changed in, hoping to find Elsa dressed up as well. Instead, she was met with the same Elsa, braid and all.

"What? Why didn't you change?"

"Was I supposed to? This is your plan, I figured you had it covered?"

"They'll only us in if we are both pretty!" Anna reached towards Elsa's braid, pulling off the hair tie. "Loosen and flip your hair. And change out of that nasty shirt."

Elsa stopped halfway through unraveling her hair, looking at Anna through loose bangs. "What's wrong with my shirt?"

"It's gray. Don't you have a brighter color one? Or, I don't know, a cleaner one?"

Elsa glared at Anna before shrugging off her bag, letting it thud to the floor. She knelt down and rummaged through the sack before pulling out a smaller one. Pale fingers pulled the drawstring apart and she let the bag fall to the sides, revealing a bright blue shirt and pants. Her old water tribe clothing.

"Perfect! That looks much nicer than what you're wearing. Maybe after the fight we can get you a new outfit?" Anna smirked and crossed her arms as Elsa grabbed the clothes and headed towards an empty stall. Less than five minutes later, she emerged.

The top was a similar style to her gray one, but tighter and without a collar. A white border was hemmed onto the clothing, preventing it from blending in with the matching pants. Elsa knelt down and pulled the pant legs up, letting the elastic catch above her knee as the rest of the pants folded over, resting above the calf.

"Better?" She muttered, putting her old clothes away in her bag. She hoisted it up on her shoulder again, turning towards the door.

"Whoa, fix your hair. I can't go out with you looking like that." Anna joked, pointing toward the half-finished braid. Elsa sighed and quickly ran her fingers through the braid before shaking it out.

"How about now?"

Anna paused, finally getting a good look at Elsa. The older woman had only changed outfits and her hairstyle but after those small variations, she floored Anna with her natural beauty. The blonde bangs that were usually brushed back framed Elsa's pale face. The wavy locks cascaded down Elsa's back, almost blending in with the white trim on her outfit, which Anna had to admit it the taller woman's eyes almost perfectly. "Wow." Anna whispered before shaking her head. She smiled and walked in front of Elsa, opening the door. "After you!"

It didn't take long to find the arena. The green and gold domed building stood out above the others easily, lit with bright, colorful lights that covered the entire structure. Casual music could be heard in the streets while the smell of fried food poorly masked the otherwise dirty smell that the rest of the city seemed to have. Elsa followed Anna's determined gait, walking past the massive line to the fight and behind the building.

"Just follow my lead." Anna winked confidently at Elsa before turning towards two burly men – a short blonde and a tall brunette- that were blocking a door. Both men wore a typical bouncer's uniform of all black, even down to the accessories. Elsa frowned slightly as she watched Anna approach the men.

"Hey there fellas," Anna purred, slinking up to the men. The shorter of the two's eyes flickered towards her before returning straight ahead. Elsa saw Anna's lips turn upwards before the redhead spoke again. "I was wondering how well you knew this city? Me and my girl here-" Elsa swallowed hard when Anna pointed at her – "are looking for some fun tonight and figured that maybe you men would know a spot."

Both bouncers remained silent as Anna walked around them, lightly dragging her hand over their shoulders. Her fingers lingered on the blonde's back, running along the lines of his muscles before sliding to the brown haired one. Elsa saw Anna flinch at the sound of a harsh cough but appeared composed before it stopped echoing in the brick alley.

"Ma'am, this is the only time that I will ask you to keep your hands to yourself." The taller one turned to watch Anna remove her hand, making eye contact with the shorter woman.

"Hmm. You boys sure are _feisty_ tonight." Anna giggled and moved away, stepping into the light of the lamp nearby. Elsa blushed and looked away, biting her lip. She looked back in time to see Anna walking up to the shorter one, who seemed to be flexing his muscles as she neared. Anna looked him up and down, catching him swallowing hard when she licked her lips. "Elsa, dear. You know what? I think we have all the fun we need right here."

Elsa took a step forward as she reached out towards Anna. "Wait, what? Anna, I-"

"It's fine girl. Who needs some stupid fight when the real match is out here?" She walked around the two men again, this time with a predatory gait. Elsa watched as Anna focused on the shorter bouncer, occasionally biting her lip when she walked in front of the man. "Do either of you take your break soon? Because…" Anna paused, looking back at Elsa before focusing back on the bouncers – "I could really use a little help from such a _capable_ pair of men like yourselves. I'm sure you can take care of any problem we have." She smiled, this time making eye contact with the shorter man, who blushed.

Elsa found herself getting worked up but couldn't figure out why. Was it what Anna was saying? Or was it the way she was saying it? Either way, Elsa ran her palms over her thighs, wiping away the increasing amount of sweat.

When neither of the men spoke, Anna shrugged slowly. "I suppose not. Come on Elsa, we'll have to find something else to do tonight." Anna winked at the men before taking a slow step towards the street, putting extra effort into the sway of her hips and the seductive swagger in her walk.

Elsa found herself swallowing hard at the sight of Anna. The orange glow from the lamp caused her hair and skin glow, reflecting the artificial light perfectly. Anna's movement, paired with her recent conversation with the bouncers made Elsa realize something: She was beginning to think of Anna as something more than an annoying podunk thief. At this point in the night, Elsa gladly followed Anna's orders, following a close step behind the woman as they began to leave the alley.

"Wait," a deep voice said from behind her. Elsa caught the corner of Anna's smirk, watching as it quickly disappeared before the shorter woman turned around to face the source. "The fighters aren't even here yet, so I guess we have time to, uh, help you." The shorter man winked at Anna and Elsa.

"No, Ju." The taller man's harsh voice silenced his partner. "Last time you took a break, you were robbed. Who knows what these women want?! These women might more robbers or even Equalists looking to sabotage the fight. We took an oath-"

"Oath smoth!" The shorter man stepped towards his partner. "What are two girls going to do? Flash the fighters so they get distracted? I'd rather them flash me!" Elsa blushed and looked away while Anna silently crept towards the men.

"Ju, as your superior-"

"Koska, we get paid the same!"

"I'm telling you to stand down!"

"Koska, I'm not going to stand here all night, freezing my ass off when two sexy women come begging."

Anna walked behind the taller one, hidden in his broad shadow. She took a breath before firing away at his joints, taking him down in less than two seconds. After he collapsed, she did the same to the shorter bouncer, catching both by surprise.

"Sorry, boys." Elsa watched Anna kneel before the paralyzed men. "I don't roll that way." She patted both men on the shoulder before jumping up towards the metal door. "Come on! All the good seats will be gone!" She pulled the metal door open and disappeared inside, leaving Elsa alone with the two bouncers.

The blonde shook herself out of her daze before catching up to Anna, barely making it in before the heavy door shut. She was just about to ask Anna how she opened it when the smell of sweat, blood, and wait- was that fried dough? - caught up to her. She spotted a blur of red before it vanished behind a corner. Elsa took off after it.

"Anna!" Elsa whispered, looking for the woman as she rounded the bend. She almost had to airbend herself to a stop to prevent her from running into Anna but luckily caught herself on a railing. "Why did you ju-"

"Whoa." Anna was standing in front of an open door with her jaw dropped. "This… This is the arena?" She turned to look at Elsa, who nodded. Anna took a step forward, entering the upper section of the main room. Music could be heard over the low roar of the crowd as Elsa watched the redhead react to the overwhelming scene in front of them.

Just like the city they were in, the arena's seating was divided into three rings, and it seemed that each reflected the level of income. The first ring, home to the worst view, was the lowest and packed with people. The stone slabs that broke only for sets of stairs weren't even cushioned but it seemed the crowd didn't care as they took their seats. The lack of safety netting made Elsa nervous for the people in the front row, but it seemed they were prepared with makeshift shields in the off-chance a loose rock flew their way.

In the middle ring, where Elsa and Anna were, it was slightly better. There were individual seats with what seemed to be a somewhat nice cushion for each. There was a cup holder, similar to the seats found in movers theaters, as well as some leg room. The view was safer from here, and Elsa could get a better grasp of the field's layout.

The best seats in the arena, though, were the ones farthest away. Able to view the whole field from a safe distance, each seat was located in private viewing boxes high above the other two rings. Elsa's knowledge of them was limited to a poster she saw a few years back advertising the purchase of a box, but she knew they were expensive and usually held only the richest members of Ba Sing Se.

"Come Anna, let's grab a seat before the fight starts." Elsa began walking down the stairs, turning to make sure Anna followed. Anna woke from her daze and bounded down the stairs after Elsa. The pair quickly found two seats side-by-side, and sat down.

"This is going to be so fun!" Anna squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing her feet against the stone floor. She was more energetic now and seemed to be looking at everything as if it would suddenly vanish. Elsa smiled as she pulled her sketchbook out, flipping to a blank page. But when Elsa looked up to test her view of the field, the lights all went out.

The crowd silenced almost immediately, only to pick back up with complaints and yells moments later. Elsa heard people curse and shout as they fumbled for their seats. Elsa reached her hand out for Anna's, touching it almost right away. It seemed Anna had the same thought. Elsa lightly squeezed Anna's hand, hopefully reassuring the woman.

While small lights appeared around the upper ring of the arena, most likely lamps lit by Firebenders in those booths, the rest of the arena was shrouded in darkness. Elsa contemplated sparking her own but a loud voice broke her train of thought.

"Ladies and gentlemen," A male voice began, echoing throughout the arena.

"Oh, this must be part of the fight! Like that one mover about a magic show!" Anna whispered to Elsa.

"Tonight, we interrupt the fight to bring you something _far_ more entertaining. Something far more enjoyable." Elsa felt Anna squeeze her hand tightly as the voice continued. "Tonight, we give you something you've all been waiting for."

A whirring sound filled the room as the lights suddenly turned on. A wave of relief spread through the crowd as Elsa blinked hard, squinting to see what had changed in the arena. She didn't have to look too hard.

An older man hung high above the field, swinging back and forth in a protest against the ropes that bound him. From the way he was dressed, the man was either very rich or very important. Probably both. Elsa found herself starting to worry as she began to recognize the man dangling above the stone floor of the field.

"Vice President Gunnar has gone too far. For years we have tolerated his stance against benders. But tonight, we will not stand for his intolerance any longer!" The Vice President struggled even harder, seeming to understand his incoming fate. "And while his infractions are great, we hope this action will serve as a warning to any and all supporters of this man! That anyone who sides with him, his party, or his beliefs will either silence themselves or face the might of the Coalition!"

A massive man dropped down from the dome's roof, using earthbending to soften his fall to the field. Dressed in all black with his face covered, it was impossible to identify him beyond his muscular stature. Once he landed on the player's field, he looked up at the swinging man and pointed at him. Elsa's mind finally caught up to the apparent plan and she abruptly stood up, pulling Anna with her.

Meanwhile, the man sent a rock disc straight through the Vice President's neck.


End file.
